Fifteen years after 9/11 a number of reports and studies suggest a link between environmental exposures of 9/11 first responders and an increased rate of diseases and cancer for such persons. One concern is soot, which is an environmental exposure that fireman routinely encounter.
Firefighters know soot should be removed as part of a decontamination process after fighting a fire. Because it is not practical to remove clothing and take a shower or fully wash with a chemical wash at the site of a fire, firefighters have used wet wipes to help clean up from firefighting on site. A common wipe used is a simple baby wipe.
A number of companies sell wet wipes for use by firefighters which are advertised as good for use in decontamination by firefighters. Such wipes can contain products designed to moisturize skin and avoid irritation.